This is an HTML version of an attachment to the Freedom of Information request 'Independent Scheme Assurance Panel (ISAP)'.

Identity and Passport Service 
 
     MINUTES 
Independent Assurance Panel (IAP) 
Tuesday 19th June 2007, 10:00-13:00 
Phone Conference 
 
Chairperson: 
Alan Hughes  
IAP Member 
 
AH 
 
Members: 
Fergie Williams  
IAP Member 
 
FW 
 
Peter Simpson  
IAP Member 
 
PS 
 
John Clarke  
IAP Member 
 
JC 
 
Malcolm Mitchell  
IAP Member 
 
MM 
Attendees: 
Bill Crothers  
Executive 
Director,  IPS BC 
Commercial 
 
Dominic Hartley 
Chief 
Business  IPS DH 
Architect 
 
Xxxxx Xxxxx 
Programme 
Support  IPS XX 
Manager 
Secretariat: 
Xxxxx Xxxxxx 
Programme 
Support  IPS XX 
Officer 
 
 
Agenda Item Comments 
Agenda 
Agenda Item comments 
Presenter 
Item No. 
1. 
IAP Theme 1 : Building the NIS Infrastructure 
BC 
Framework Project Update 
The panel were advised that a set of papers has been produced for review by 
senior management in advance of issuing the OJEU for the IPS Strategic 
Supplier Framework (ISSF).  
ACTION : IAP to review the ISSF documents and provide comments to BC.
 
HM Treasury approval is still awaited for the NIS Business Case. The OGC 
Gateway Review 2 outcome was Red with three immediate recommendations.  
BC advised that a detailed project plan has now been produced.   
 
IPS wants to select 5 strategic suppliers to the framework.   BC advised the 
successful bidders would be individual companies, although it is recognised that 
it is likely that all of the prime bidders will need to appoint subcontractors to be 
able to offer the full range of services required.  The panel queried how IPS 
intended to manage this and BC advised that IPS would be introducing 
appropriate controls and will manage this by a risk based approach. 
 
It is intended that packages of work will be broken down into a number of 
projects and within these a number of phases.  Whilst suppliers will be awarded 
a project there will be ‘break-points’ between phases which will be subject to a 
performance review before allowing the supplier to proceed to the next stage.  
Supplier performance will be monitored by technical and behavioural indicators. 
Sanctions for poor performance will include being terminated at the end of a 
phase or removed from the framework.  BC acknowledged the difficulties in 
changing supplier during a project. 
© Identity and Passport Service 2007 
 
 
 
Page 1 of 4 
File Ref: 
IAP minutes 19 June 07 V0 03.for disc.doc 

Identity and Passport Service 
 
Agenda 
Agenda Item comments 
Presenter 
Item No. 
MM advised building a stage towards the end of each phase for suppliers to 
provide documentation in preparation for the next phase.   
 
BC advised the IAP of the selection method to reduce the number of bidders 
down to a manageable number for final selection.  MM suggested that one way 
to determine the final number of strategic suppliers might be to inspect the 
number of interfaces and determine relevant criteria which would then drive the 
test.  BC advised that careful consideration was also being given to the 
packaging strategy so as to determine the number of packages of work in 
relation to the scheme architecture.  
  
IAP had 4 main areas of concern regarding the procurement strategy : 
1) Current IPS resources do not have the capabilites or experience to manage 
the procurement. BC shared these concerns and explained he was developing 
a model to enable IPS to act as an intelligent customer and also perform gap 
analysis to identify skills shortages. The model would then determine the 
sourcing approach. BC advised that IPS was looking for individuals from DWP, 
OGC, HMRC, MOD and others suitably experienced to manage an IT 
procurement of this size.  
ACTION : IAP to share information on any suitable resources for the 
procurement if available. 
2)  Under the proposed structure the system integrator would be IPS. The IAP 
felt such integration would be particularly complex in the proposed structure. 
Given the lack of adequate expertise in IPS, the IAP questioned the approach, 
highlighting this as a major area of concern. Even if systems integration 
expertise was procured externally, ultimate responsibility for monitoring and 
ensuring its’ success would rest with IPS. Long term and for steady state IPS 
would need to look at civil service pay and put together a case.  FW advised 
that DWP had been successful in persuading the Cabinet Office of the need to 
pay market rates to recruit the necessary expertise The IAP noted they had not 
yet seen any plan detailing how IPS intended to manage systems integration.   
ACTION : AH to discuss how systems integration will be managed and the 
proposed approach with David Foord (OGC). 
3) IAP discussed the idea of terminating under-performing suppliers at the end 
of phases. The IAP emphasised that change of supplier or termination needed 
to be a last resort and that there should be other remedies before sanctions are 
invoked. The IAP suggested procedures to give early visibility of issues and a 
clear escalation procedure need to be introduced. MM suggested that if 
terminations occurred, key individuals should move with the contract. 
4)  IAP felt the selection criteria for suppliers should be more heavily based on 
proven experience and capability rather than company revenue as presented. 

IAP Theme 2 : Benefits Realisation 
PS/AH 
 
Beneficiary Engagement 
  PS reported on the work of the Business Development Advisory Group (BDAG) 
  and Customer Confidence Forum. PS stated the prime benefit of the NIS is 
building the identity infrastructure required for the future. This infrastructure 
  must allow the management of identity for the nation as a whole. PS 
  acknowledged it was difficult to quantify this in a cost benefit analysis. There 
  may be supplementary benefits, such as those identified by Crosby, but if this 
  main objective is not fufilled the scheme is meaningless.  PS advised there is 
not sufficient articulation of the links between what IPS is trying to do, the 
  articulation of benefits to the citizen and the planned procurement. FW 
© Identity and Passport Service 2007 
 
 
 
Page 2 of 4 
File Ref: 
IAP minutes 19 June 07 V0 03.for disc.doc 

Identity and Passport Service 
 
Agenda 
Agenda Item comments 
Presenter 
Item No. 
  suggested it may be easier for IPS to consider the costs to the country which 
would result from not building the infrastructure. 
  AH updated the panel on the work of the Public Private Forum on Identity  
 
chaired by Sir James Crosby.   Key concepts which Crosby has been testing 
include : 
1.  Uniqueness of Identity underpins the scheme; 
2.  The citizen must have trust in the scheme;,  
3.  The public sector is best placed to deliver a ‘universal’ scheme ; 
4.  The private sector will deliver long term value to the consumer ; 
5.  The scheme must reach critical mass within the next 5 years.  
The consultation work has now finished and one-to-one meetings are being 
held to validate the material being put together for the final report, expected in 
July.  PS stated the first 3 objectives would be a result of the basic 
infrastructure which is for the public good. It is difficult to analyse specific cost 
benefits around these.  
MM raised concerns about the lack of discussion coming out of the forum 
around support requirements for such a sophisticated scheme.  The IAP agreed 
that if Identity Management includes the requirement for an Identity enquiry 
intermediary to protect the citizen, it will need to be a regulated and transparent 
structure to build confidence. 
The Panel agreed the scheme would encourage joined up government as a 
whole. However this did not rely on the ID card. 
3. 
Assurance Arrangements 
DH 
Following the proposed revised structure for assurance across the programme 
agreement is sought from both the Biometrics Assurance Group and the 
Independent Assurance Panel to the new arrangements.  DH advised that BAG 
had been consulted over the proposal and that there was general agreement 
that the current assurance activities need to be better aligned. Brian Collins, 
deputy chair of the Biometrics Assurance Group, is likely to join the IAP in 
future to form a Scheme Assurance Panel.  SAP could assign particular 
biometric focussed tasks to the BAG. BAG could also highlight particluar areas 
for further investigation back to SAP. DH, AH and Brian Collins will be meeting 
on the 29th June to progress this further. The panel agreed they acted in an 
‘advisory’ capacity.  DH advised that culturally the BAG and IAP were similar 
and that Brain Collins had also advocated the DfT ‘critical friend’ model.  DH 
advised that the new structure was not an attempt to inject greater formality into 
the assurance activitites.   
IAP questioned whether this would compromise the BAG’s independence. DH 
stated the reporting lines would still be the same. IAP queried how they could 
better track changes against areas they had highlighted for improvement and 
agreed that they should meet twice yearly with the CEO, early in the year to 
agree priorities for the coming year and then later in the year to discuss the 
concerns and recommendations raised over the course of a year and to discuss 
the IAP Annual Report.  The panel agreed the new assurance arrangements in 
principle and also agreed this would be taken forward at the meeting on the 
29th June for which DH would put together an agenda.    
AH asked if members were satisfied they currently spent 12 days a year (their 
contracted amount) working for the IAP. Members concurred they were but that 
a  budgeted amount for extra days might be helpful. 
© Identity and Passport Service 2007 
 
 
 
Page 3 of 4 
File Ref: 
IAP minutes 19 June 07 V0 03.for disc.doc 

Identity and Passport Service 
 
Agenda 
Agenda Item comments 
Presenter 
Item No. 
ACTION : XX to arrange a meeting for AH to discuss with Simon Rice.   
4. 
Annual Report 
 
The panel discussed the Annual Report and agreed to provide feedback to 
XX/XX. 
ACTION : IAP to send comments on Annual Report to XX/XX.   
 
 
Details of Next meetings :
Date: Location: Focus: 
Time: 
23/07/07 
Phone Conference  Introduction to Katie Davis 
10.00 – 13.00 
Update on Crosby work & review first 
draft of report  
18/09/07 Face-to-Face, 
Bill Crothers, update on framework 10.00 – 13.00 
London 
agreement. 
08/10/07 Phone 
Conference 
 
10.00 – 13.00 
05/11/07 Face-to-Face, 
Update to CEO 
10.00 – 13.00 
London 
Annual Report 
03/12/07 Phone 
Conference 
 
10.00 – 13.00 
 
Version control 
Version No. 
Date 
Reason for Change 
Author 
Approved for 
Distribution by 

0.01 20/06/07  Initial 
draft 
XX 
------------------- 
0.02 26/06/07  Review 
comments 
XX 
---------------------- 
0.03 
28/06/07 
AH review comments 
AH 
AH 
 
© Identity and Passport Service 2007 
 
 
 
Page 4 of 4 
File Ref: 
IAP minutes 19 June 07 V0 03.for disc.doc